Advanced Scuba Programs

 The completion of the OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE provides you with the motor skills, equipment knowledge and minimum open water experience needed to be considered a safe Scuba Diver. What it does not do is prepare you for special environmental diving conditions.

Until lately, most training schools have had "advanced" programs that were somewhat less than truly advanced. In some cases' students would complete their open water certification in one week, and the next week the same students would be certified as Advanced Open Water divers. When you are certified as an ADVANCED OPENWATER DIVER, you should be experienced in several different specialties, and have a minimum of ten open water dives logged in your log book. The advanced diving courses are designed to introduce and familiarize you with various diving activities and to provide limited experience in those areas. The specialty courses are offered for those who have an interest in learning more. Completing the actual specialty courses will make you a TRULY ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVER.

The following specialty courses are generaly available:

1. Boat Diving
2. Computer Diving
3. *Deep Diving*
4. *Drysuit Diving*
5. Equipment Techniques
6. Underwater Navigation
7. Search and Recovery
8. Underwater Hunter
9. Stress and Rescue
10. *Wreck Diving*
11. Limited Visibility
12. *Night Diving. *

(*) Junior Advanced open water divers should not take the courses marked with a star.

Divers taking Specialty Courses or the ADVANCED OPEN WATER program must have an open water or higher certification from any recognized diver certification agency.

The Minimum age for certification as an ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVER is 15 Years. The minimum age for certification as a JUNIOR ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVER is 12 Years. Each specialty diving course should require two or more open water scuba dives using the skills of the specialty.

As the purpose of this training is to develop independence on the part of the student diver, the student may not need to remain with the instructor unless specific exercises require it.

Remember, when you complete an ADVANCED OPEN WATER training program, you will have the confidence and knowledge to call yourself an ADVANCED DIVER.

Scuba diving is a rewarding yet demanding adventure that you can safely enjoy if you are interested and reasonably fit, and if you take a high quality scuba-training course. The better the course, the better you will be prepared to become a capable and safe diver enjoying years of diving experience!